FOOD

Columbus Monthly’s Best New Restaurants 2023

We picked 10 of the best newcomers to the Central Ohio dining scene, from January to December 2022; plus, our favorite new bars and bakeries.

Columbus Monthly
Wood oven-roasted tomato from Fyr at the Hilton Columbus Downtown

Last year, when our top 10 new restaurants made their debut, fine dining took a back seat—a sign of our risk-laden, inflationary times. Hotel restaurants were able to pull off ambitious openings (see: Fyr at Hilton Columbus Downtown). But independent owners like chef Avishar Barua of Joya’s Café and Josh Dalton of Cove: A Seafood Joint went a more casual route. Meanwhile, Jhapali Kitchen & Bar and Marlow’s Steaks hewed true to time-honored traditions, whether through the masalas used in Nepalese cooking or the meaty goodness of a Philly cheesesteak. All of these newcomers, plus five more, are to be celebrated.

Fyr

Executive chef Sebastian La Rocca (left) and executive sous chef Benjamin McNutt at Fyr, a live-fire cooking restaurant inside the new Hilton Downtown Columbus tower.

Chef Sebastian La Rocca leads the kitchen at this lively live-fire restaurant in the Hilton Columbus Downtown. (read more)

Subourbon Southern Kitchen & Spirits

Chicken-fried chicken, served with peppercorn gravy, mashed potatoes and Brussels sprouts at Subourbon Southern Kitchen & Bar

At Subourbon in Linworth, restaurateurs Jacob Hough and Patrick Marker are delivering the kind of comforting food they like to eat. (read more)

Jhapali Kitchen & Bar

A spread from Jhapali Kitchen & Bar, from left: momos, Kingfisher beer, garlic naan, chatpata, chai and Nepalese goat thali

Authentic Nepalese cuisine shines at this family-owned restaurant in Pickerington. (read more)

Marlow’s Steaks

Marlow's Way cheesesteak with a pumpkin mule cocktail from Marlow's Steaks in Gahanna.

Philadelphia cheesesteaks are sold all over Columbus, but Marlow's are the real deal. (read more)

Kona Craft Kitchen + Bar

A selection of pastries and a mocha latte at Kona Craft Kitchen + Bar in Bridge Park

Kona owners Stacy and Frank Leary have created a welcoming, all-day destination featuring Kona Coffee, great cocktails and much more. (read more)

Koso Hae

Kimbap from Koso Hae

At Koso in East Market, owner Raymond Kim focuses his menu around small plates, noodles, rice bowls, maki rolls and Korean banchan. (read more)

Bar Cicchetti

Clockwise from center, Bar Cicchetti's Polpetti Di Fabio, strozzapreti verde, Pistacio Smack cocktail, rosemary and olive focaccia, white wine and Calabrian chile campanelle

Located in the heart of Downtown, this hotel restaurant from celebrity chef Fabio Viviani offers refined yet accessible Italian fare. (read more)

Joya’s Café

Fried rice, made "Danny's Way," at Joya's Cafe

Chef Avishar Barua's hip Bengali-American café in Worthington counts China, Korea, Thailand and Taco Bell among its culinary influences. (read more)

Cove: A Seafood Joint

Seafood boil at Cove: A Seafood Joint in Delaware

Chef Josh Dalton's seafood joint, Cove, is the latest in a string of restaurants to incubate on Winter Street. (read more)

Station

Station in Granville

Station's scratch menu draws on local ingredients and centers around sandwiches and bowls, with a collection of sides, salads and baked goods. (read more)

Best New Bars (With Good Food)

Bean salad, Ahi tuna and pickled vegetables with a paloma at Understory, a lounge located in the Open Air building on Neil Avenue

Our top picks include a lovely lounge and patio from Wolf's Ridge, an intimate gin and jazz bar in Short North and a family-friendly beer garden. (read more)

Best New Bakeries

Baklava from Al-Aqsa Sweets on Schrock Road

Get to know three new and exciting bakeries, each possessing a unique point of view. (read more)

These stories are from the 2023 Best New Restaurants package in the March 2023 issue of Columbus Monthly.